This invention relates to the combination of an oral medicament and a support therefor, and more particularly to a means for securing a medicament to a support which facilitates sucking on the medicament while preventing the medicament from breaking off from the support in its entirety or in large pieces which could cause choking, and further to a support which provides protection against accidental swallowing.
There are several types of common medicaments which are intended to be sucked or dissolved slowly in the mouth rather than swallowed whole like a pill. Such medicaments include cough drops, throat lozenges, and the like. However, such forms of medication may be unsuitable for small children or older patients, as large pieces of the medication might dissolve free and become lodged in the throat, causing choking. Additionally, the medication could accidentally be swallowed whole, causing choking or blockage of the throat cavity.
A solution to this problem is to supply the medication in the form of a lollipop or sucker in which the body of the medicament is secured to the end of a stick to facilitate sucking or chewing on the medication. If the medicament is not adequately secured to the stick, it may become separated from the stick and swallowed whole. A danger also exists in that if the user were in a reclined position while holding the stick, the stick could become lodged in the throat.
Several attempts have been made to overcome these Problems. For example, Snell, U.S. Pat. No. 1,847,415, relates to a holder for candy suckers in which a guard at the upper end is embedded in the candy. The support for the candy comprises a flexible, bendable wire so that if the user would happen to fall while sucking on the stick, the flexible support would prevent the stick from becoming lodged in the throat. However, large pieces of the candy may still be able to break off from the wire and could become lodged in the throat.
Cornfield U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,908 describes a tongue depressor which is coated with a candied confection. The depressor is shown to contain three holes in its upper portion where the candy is secured to the depressor. However, there are still large areas where the candy remains unsecured and could become free of the depressor. The holes are only effective if both sides of the medication remain and work as a unit. For example, if the lower portion were to dissolve first, the upper portion would be able to break off. Further, there is no safety feature on the stick which would prevent the stick from becoming lodged in the throat.
Harris et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,329 describes an oral medicament in a lollipop shape which is supported on a handle comprising a stick of resilient material looped into a single coil with spring arms extending into enlarged ears on which the medicament is molded. The handle is designed such that if the medicament becomes separated from the ears, the released spring arms will spring apart to block entry of the handle into the throat. However, there is a possibility that large pieces of the medicament could break off from the stick and, due to the spring action, be propelled and lodged in the throat. Further, there is no safety feature on the stick which would block entry of the handle into the throat while the medicament is secured to the stick.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an oral medicament which may be administered on a support without the problem of the medication breaking off in its entirety or in large pieces, and further prevents the support from becoming lodged in the throat.